Desk clock



DESK CLOCK Filed April 26, 1952 INVENTOR CHARLES w. SHELDON ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 12, 1954 DESK CLOCK Charles W. Sheldon, Lancaster County, Pa., assignor to Hamilton Watch Company, Lancaster, Pa.

Application April 26, 1952, Serial N 0. 284,550

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a stand for an electric clock of the type which is operated by a battery.

The object of the present invention is to provide a stand which will support a clock Whish may be rotated through 360 without moving the stand, while maintaining electrical contact with a battery.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a stand in which part of the ornamental structure is used to serve as an electrical conductor.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a stand for an electric clock of the battery type in which the battery may be quicldy and easily replaced.

, The invention is shown in th accompanying drawing in which:

Figure l is a perspective view.

Figure 2 is a vertical cross section showing the electrical connections and the battery housing.

A base 8 which may be plastic, wood, stone or any suitable material, supports a vertical partition which has an enlarged hollow compartme'nt i5 and is out substantially semicircular at ii to provide a clock supporting area. An ornamental metallic strip i2 extends partially around the periphery of the vertical partition 9 and forms a conductor from one terminal of the bat tery. The enlarged compartment I!) houses a battery 13 which makes contact with a headed pin i i snugly fitted in the hole 5. The pin !4 is connected to a wire l6 which is soldered or otherwise connected at i! to the metal band 12. A hole is extending from the perimeter down into the hollow compartment i sufiiciently large to permit the withdrawal of the pin l4, so that the assembly or replacement of the electrical connection including the strip I 2 is simple. Secured to the base 8 by screws 19 is a resilient strip 2i! having a bowed portion 2i. This strip at its bowed portion engages the lower end of the battery i3 and serves both as a conductor and as a means for holding the battery in the hollow compartment 5!). A second strip 22 is in contact with the strip 20 at one of the pins !9 and serves to conduct the electricity to the lower pivot pin 23, which is threaded into the base and the vertical partition and formed with a reduced portion '24 which extends into a hole 25 in the case 25 of the clock 27. A spring 28 carried between the bottom of the hole and the pin 24 insures a contact with the case 26 to provide a ground con- :nection.

An upper pivot pin 29 is threaded into the vertical partition and formed with a reduced portion 30 which extends through a hole 3| in the case and terminates in contact with a conducting spring 32. The reduced portion 36 of the pivot pin 29 is insulated from the case 25 by the fiber sleeve or washer 33. A movement, not shown, is grounded to case 26 upon assembly. The insulated spring conductor 32 is attached to the case by screws 34. It will thus be seen that the clock 21 may be rotated through 360 without disturbing the electrical contact between the battery and the clock.

What is claimed is:

l. A desk clock, comprising a base, a vertical upright secured to said base, said vertical upright having a substantially semicircular cut at one end and formed with a cylindrical well adjacent the other end, a battery housed in said well, pins carried by said vertical upright, an electrically conducting clock casing pivotally mounted on said pins in said semicircular opening, electrical connectors between said battery and said pins, one of said pins being grounded to said casing, insulating means insulating the other of said pins from said casing, and a clock movement carried within said casing and connected to said pins.

2. A desk clock, comprising a base, a vertical upright secured to said base, said vertical upright being formed with a cylindrical well and with a semicircular out at one end, pins carried by said upright and extending into the semicircular cut, a clock casing rotatively carried by said pins, a battery housed in said well, a spring retaining strip for holding said battery in said well and connecting said battery to one of said pins, an ornamental strip extending around the edge of said vertical upright and serving as th other terminal connecting said battery to the other of said pins, and a clock movement carried by said casing and connected to said pins.

3. A desk clock, comprising a base, a vertical upright formed with a cylindrical well and a semicircular cut at one end secured to said base, upper and lower pins threaded into the side of the vertical upright and extending into the semicircular opening, a clock casing rotatively carried on said pins, a battery housed within said well, a spring strip retaining said battery within said well and connected to the lower of said pins to serve as an electrical conductor from said battery to said pin, an ornamental strip carried on the edge of said vertical upright and connected to said upper pin, a loosely mounted pin contacting the center pole of said battery and a flexible connection between said ornamental strip and said pins, one of said pins being grounded to said clock casing, an insulated bushing mounted in said casing and spacing said upper pin from said casing, a spring strip carried on the inside of said casing and connected to said upper pin to maintain electrical connection while permitting rotative movement of said casing, and a clock movement carried within said casing and connected to said casing and said spring strip.

CHARLES W. SHELDON.

No references cited. 

